Container



L. L. JONES Nov. 10, 1942.

CONTAINER Filed Jan. l2, 1940 Patented Nov. 10, 1942 CONTAINER Lyman L. Jones, Seattle, Wash., assigner to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 12, 1940, Serial No. 313,614

2 Claims. (Cl. 22o-44) The present invention relates to sheet metal containers and has particular reference to an escapement valve or venting device for use in containers filled with products that may develop gases or with contents that may be subjected to volumetric changes. Y

An object of the present invention is the provision of an escapement or blowout valve for the can top of a hermetic sealed container which permits escape of entrapped air or gas from within the container or permits expansive changes in the can contents as for such products as frozen foods thus preventing bursting of the can while at the same time providing an indication of the defective character of the product.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a blowout device which is arranged to relieve any excess pressure generated within a filled container as for such products as tobacco sealed in gas but which will not permit the inf gress of air into the container.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hermetic seal including a blowout disc which is. of simple construction, economical in cost and one that is readily assembled on the outside wall of a can end by the kcan maker, the end being sealed onto its filled container by means of standard sealing equipment in th packers plant, or can makers plant.

Numerous other objects and advantages `of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which,

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a vent in a part of a container and to normally retain the vent closed by a metal disc closure. This vent however will relieve any excess pressure generated or will allow for volumetric changes within a container, after which relief the disc closure will reseal the opening.

A preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a. round sheet metal container having a tubular body Il, the ends of the blank from which the body is formed being joined together by a side seam I2 (Fig. 1). The ends of the container are or may be substantially the same and for the purpose of the invention only a top end member I3 is shown. The top end member is secured to the tubular body by a double seam I4. This' double seam joint may be lined with a gasket or sealing compound I5 (Fig. 2) in the usual manner to render the joint hermetic.

The topend member has a substantially at upper surface below the surrounding rim of the double seam I4 and has a countersunk panel I6, f

located centrally of the end. The panel Wallis cut through with a circular vent I1. An annular depending merging wall section I8 protaken in connection with the accompanying' drawing, discloses thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sheet metal container embodying the present invention and illustrates a closure disc sealed in position upon the container top; and v Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 and illustrates a disc closure in closed position and sealed upon a filled container.

The present invention contemplates the packing of frozen food products in sheet metal containers and it is desirable in such practice to reduce the clearance or gas space to accomplish efficacious or quick freezing of the product. This, however, subjects the metal container to severe strains by the 'expansion of the product during freezing thus causing the container to bulge outwardly and this often breaks the seams or joints of the container.

a preferred embodiment vides a surrounding wall for the countersunk panelIG and is of suitable dimension to frictionally engage with the outer diameter of a disc closure I9. Such friction normally retains the closure in position, thereby. covering and sealing the vent I'I. y

The disc closure I9 is preferably made of metal to substantially fill the countersunk panel I6 to provide a flush top surface for the top end I3. Agasket 2|! may be inserted within the countersunk panel I6 and beneath the ydisc closure i9 to produce a hermetically sealed closure. It is sometimes desirable to ydispense with the gasket lined metal closure and substitute a rubber disc instead. y

The disc closure I 9 may be further secured to the can end and is sealed in position upon the countersunk panel I6 lby a moistureproof cellulose sticker element 2|. This sticker is preferably transparent and is shown rectangular in shape as such a shape facilitates rapid feeding and cutting of strip stock from which the sticker is made. 'I'he cellulose sticker may be made from moistureproof Scotch tape or`Cellophane coated with lacquer and adhesively secured over the 'disc closure I9 and the adjointainer with a product 22 over the top of which is left a clearance or head space 2t which may he illed with a gas. it the clearance space 2t is nlled with gas the pressure of the gas, in. the case of frozen foods for example, may be at atmospheric or it may be below or above depending upon the temperature. Moderate temperature changes will cause the food product to expand thereby reducing the clearance space. Rapid and severe temperature changes will subject the food products to volumetric changes, increase the internal pressure and cause such expanding frozen product to force the disc closure from the container. If the developed pressure is suiilcient this will emit a certain amount of the food product through the vent. The cellulose sticker 2i remains attached to the disc closure and to the engaged part of the can end i3. Upon return to normal temperature and pressure, the disc closure i9 will again seat itself over the vent il and this prevents the ingress of airinto the container.

A product such as tobacco may be packaged Within this type of container. The clearance space 23 would then be nlled with a gas under a slight pressure but not sumclent to disturb the seal. However development of greater pressures in a filled can of this type would cause the escape of excess pressure through the vent il Without permitting the entrance of air into the container.

It should be evident, from the above descrip-' tion, that such avalve construction can also be used for containers illled 'with gas producing products such as 'cheese andv the like. For a cheese lled can, the vent il will operate as a relief valve for the excessive gas as it is generated.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrincing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A sheet metal container comprising a tubular body having top and bottom end members esonera secured thereto, one of said end members being substantially nat and having a shallow countersunk panel portion provided with a vent opening, said panel portion being surrounded by a substantially vertical peripheral wall, a substantially nat imperforate rigid disk closure element disposed in said panel portion and lying substantially in the plane of the adjacent end member, said disk element having peripheral fricticnal engagement with said wall for normally covering and closing the opening, and a cellulose sticker element disposed over and entirely covering said disc closure element and secured to adjacent portions of said container end for movably confining said closure Within said panel, said sticker element being lexible under excess internal pressure to permit said disk to move outwardly and runseal said opening to vent the container peripherally o the disk closure without separation of said closure from the container end.

2. A sheet :metal container for preserving expansible products or which develop gases and wherein a head space is present in the lled can, comprising in combination: a tubular-body having top and bottom end members secured thereto in an hermetic seam including a surrounding rim, said top end member having a substantially iat surface located below the upper edge of said rim and having a shallow countersunk panel with a. vent opening disposed therein, said shallow countersunk panel being surrounded by a substantially vertical peripheral wall, an imperforate rigid metallic disk closure disposed in frictionai engagement Within said wall for normally covering said opening, said closure substantially illling said shallow panel to present a flush top surface, and a cellulose sticker sheet disposed over said disk closure and adhesively secured to adjacent portions of said top end for movably conning the closure within said panel, said sticker being exible and yieldable under excess internal pressure to temporarily unseal said opening to compensate for expansion of the contained product and to permit escape of generated gases in said head space of the container peripherally of the disk closure, said adhesively secured sticker sheet preventing ingress to the container of outside atmosphere.

LYMAN L. JONES. 

